Chapter 94: Making a Reservation at the Temple
The next day, after fitting my attire at the clothing store, I headed straight to the temple. Although I couldn’t see Rio in her dress during the fitting, I looked forward to the finished product.
The temple was located in the northwest of the town, and as I approached, I began to notice more priests in their ceremonial garb, just like the last temple I visited. The structure of this temple was not much different from the previous one. Even though the country was different, it seemed that the design of temples remained fairly consistent.
“This temple is quite grand,” I remarked.
“Indeed…” came the reply.
As I walked through the stone columns and entered the temple’s interior, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of reverence. While it wasn’t ostentatious, the craftsmanship reflected the pride of a city known for its artisans, with intricate details that caught my eye.
“Welcome! What brings you to the Helmeus Temple today?” an elderly woman in priestly robes called out as I admired the statue of the goddess in the chapel.
So this was the Helmeus Temple. It seemed different from the last temple I visited, but perhaps the names varied by region.
I wondered if it was appropriate to bring Nil here. If it were a problem, I figured someone would let me know. I decided to brush off my concerns.
“Um, well…” I hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed about stating my purpose.
“What’s the matter? Speak clearly! Indecisiveness won’t win you any favors!” she chided, cutting me off.
Even if I wasn’t particularly concerned about being popular, it was still a bit disheartening to hear. Besides, being popular could be more trouble than it was worth…
“Ahaha!” Rio burst into laughter, joining in on the teasing. It was amusing, but she was involved in this too. My irritation began to bubble up. In response, I pulled Rio close by the waist and planted a kiss on her cheek.
“I intend to perform the Marriage Ceremony with Rio.”
“Well, well! I take back what I said about you not being popular!” she exclaimed, flustered.
“Wait, wait…!” Rio’s face turned bright red, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. After all, she was just as much a part of this as I was. I felt the eyes of others on us, but I decided to embrace the moment.
“Indeed. If you are in love, there is no problem at all. Please wait a moment,” the priestess said, moving to a shelf behind her to retrieve some documents, spreading them out on the table. She licked her finger and began flipping through the pages.
“When would you like to hold the ceremony? The soonest we can arrange it is in two days.”
Two days? That felt rather quick. I wasn’t sure how often Marriage Ceremonies were held, but I doubted the town’s population was large enough to warrant such frequency.
“Ah, the attire isn’t ready yet, so that day won’t work. What about a week from now?” I asked.
“Let me see…” The elderly woman flipped through the pages again, stopping at one.
“In that case, nine days from now would be suitable. There should be no issues with that date.”
I had no prior commitments, so that should work. I just needed to ensure I didn’t get too caught up in my skills or weapon crafting and forget about it.
“Yes, please schedule it for that day.”
“Understood.”
“Now, I’ll need you to fill out this form,” she instructed, returning the previous documents to the shelf and pulling out another sheet of paper to place on the table. She handed me a pen and looked up.
“Do you need assistance with writing?”
“No, I’m fine,” I replied.
“Very well. Please fill it out,” she said, handing me the pen.
I leaned over the table to examine the document. It looked like a marriage registration form.
“Spouse or partner… Ah, the last name will change,” I noted.
“Wow… this is kind of exciting,” Rio said, peering at the form with me. I could feel the tension building.
“First, let’s write our names,” I suggested, filling in my full name. I then passed the pen to Rio so she could write hers. I wasn’t entirely sure what a marriage registration looked like in Japan, but there was no address or space for witnesses, and no need for a seal either. It was a rather simplified version.
“I’m done!” Rio announced.
“Great, is this good?” I asked, double-checking the form with her.
After we confirmed everything was correct, I handed it to the elderly woman, who seemed to have a look that suggested she wanted to say, “Ah, youth is wonderful.”
“Yes, this is all in order. We will hold the Marriage Ceremony in nine days,” she confirmed.
“Thank you very much.”
“Lastly, I must ask for a charitable offering,” she said.
“A charitable offering?” I echoed, unsure of what she meant.
“It’s a donation to the temple. There’s no set amount, so you can contribute as much as you like,” she explained with a cheerful smile.
I found myself pondering this for a moment.
“Hmm…”
“What’s the matter? Didn’t I just say that indecisive men won’t be popular? You need to be decisive!” she urged.
What a persistent old woman… If I had a set amount in mind, it would be easy, but this was a tricky situation. I had no idea what a reasonable amount would be.
Still, it felt good to have a conversation without interruptions.
“Alright, here you go.” I pulled out two gold coins from my pocket and offered them to her.
“Wow, how generous! I might have to retract my earlier statement about you not being popular!” she exclaimed, collecting the twenty thousand Fron and the documents.
“Well, being popular because of money isn’t exactly what I had in mind,” I muttered.
“Then, you two should return here together in nine days. I pray for happiness in your future,” she said, sending us off with a warm smile.
With that, we left the temple, feeling a mix of excitement and anticipation for what lay ahead.